


Confess

by goddamnitkastlewrites



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-15 13:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12321786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddamnitkastlewrites/pseuds/goddamnitkastlewrites
Summary: First posted to goddamnitkastle.tumblr.com on October 9, 2017.The original summary is below:"Woof this fic was a trip to write/configurate! So glad it came together though.Essentially I combined an outtake section of You Say Go Slow with Rae and Finn’s scene from My Mad Fat Diary, all done in true, canon(ish) Kastle fashion.Enjoy :)"





	Confess

They burst through her door, him half carrying her with his left arm while she clings to his neck.

She lets go, tries to reach for her island. She doesn’t get any distance due to her broken leg and the next seconds happen in slow motion. She’s about to face plant into the kitchen floor when she feels his arm grab her stomach. She’s yanked back up and her back slams into his chest.

“Fuck, Frank…”

“Damn it Page.”

“Let me go.”

“Your leg is broken.”

“I don’t care. Everything was fine until you showed up.”

“Is that right? Cause from what I saw there was a bullet coming for your head.”

He’s right but her leg is fueling her stubbornness. She’ll keep it up if she has to.

“I swear if you don’t let me go…”

“Fine, go.”

He releases his grip, leaving her standing on her good leg. She hobbles to the couch, props her leg on the coffee table. He hasn’t moved and her aggravation only flares up.

“You can go Frank. I can take care of myself.”

She stares him down but he turns around and starts rummaging through her kitchen. She scoffs and turns her head away. The universe is a fucking asshole.

Their paths kept crossing since he put on the vest and the situations were pretty dire. Today wasn’t the first time he saved her from getting her head blown off. They usually separated after the all clear, he’d mumble a “be careful” and she’d nod curtly. It was easy to escape the tension but there was no way out this time.

He settles next to her and places the bag of ice, first aid kit, and a bottle of whiskey next to her leg.

“Let me see your cheek.”

“Shouldn’t you look at my leg?”

“It’s clearly broken which means I’ll have to outsource that. Come on.” He urges.

She pivots to him and moves her hair behind her ears. He starts to dab the cut. The alcohol stings but she doesn’t even feel his fingertips on her jawline. He’s so close, she can smell the gun powder. Flashes of the men Frank had killed appear. The silence drags on. She knows they’ll have to hash it out, might as well be now.

“You must be tired of saving me.”

“Is that right?” He rips open a bandage and places it cautiously on her cheek.

“Come on Frank. This isn’t what you do.”

“I wasn’t about to leave you behind in that.”

“Well maybe you should have.”

“What?”

“Look, I’m not ungrateful. But I do not want to become a liability, your weakness. Frank you have to know what this might look like to people. They can put two and two together.”

Frank doesn’t look at her but she sees his finger tapping away.

“And when people figure it out, you can’t kill them all.”

“I can.”

“Frank.”

“I can. And I would.” He eyes meet hers then. He’s so sure but she can see the fear underneath. He knows she’s right but he’ll bury his head in the sand.

“I only hurt people that deserve it. You don’t.”

She bites her tongue. He still doesn’t know about Wesley. She doesn’t think anything would change if he knew and it would be nice to not have it eat her up on a daily basis. But it never feels like the right time to bring it up. They’re always on the run, either from danger or from each other.

“I’ll be more careful. I won’t try to put you in this position again.”

He nods slowly.

“Ice you leg. I gotta call Micro.”

He gets up, takes out his burner phone. She reaches for the bottle, takes a swig, and contemplates how she just asked someone to not save her. Either she has a death wish or she’s knee deep in the idea and agenda that is The Punisher. But as he sits down again with more ziplock bags of ice, she doesn’t see the gun wielding monster the media has sensationalized. She sees a man she’s come to deeply care for, who sees her in ways no else can. Everything feels so precarious between them but ever since he came back into her life she feels… okay. Seen. Known.

He gently places the last bag on her knee.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I shouldn’t have asked you to not save me. It’s not who you are, no matter what symbol you sport on your vest. I know Frank Castle is dead but…”

“Karen.”

“Yeah?”

They’re locking eyes and Karen can see every emotion flash across his near black irises. Guilt. Confusion. Longing. He swallows before he speaks.

“I want to tell you something.”

“What?”

He pauses, she sees the gears working as he forms the words. He shakes his head.

“I’m not always good with words… with speaking.”

She shrugs her shoulders. His nervousness is scaring her.

His eyes dart to her propped leg. He lifts his hand and places his finger on her thigh. He looks up, his touch still and feather light. She nods.

He slides it down no more than an inch. The calloused pad feels nice, the effect causing Karen to grip the edge of her couch. Her leg would’ve jerked up for sure if she could move it.

**_I_ **

He lifts his finger but only for a second and it slides down the same path again but then it travels across toward her inner thigh.

**_L_ **

Once again he lifts his finger and when it comes down again the path is circular.

**_O_ **

Oh. He’s spelling something.

**_V_ **

**_E_ **

She closes her eyes, lets his confession settle inside herself. Settle inside the space they’re sharing. It’s all too much to register but Karen can’t help but feel joy erupt inside herself. Joy and then panic, it’s a frightening sensation.

“Frank, don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”

She turns to him and his expression is one of someone who finally found peace.

“Cause I… I don’t believe you.”

His brow furrows but he’s not faltering.

“I don’t care if you don’t believe me. It’s the truth Karen and I don’t lie to you.”

He gives her a small smile and it crushes her in the best way possible. Yes there is a lot they need to talk about and her broken parts won’t replace his and vice versa but none of it matters. He is looking at her like she is everything he wants and she won’t say it yet but he is also everything she wants.

**Author's Note:**

> You Say Go Slow is linked here:
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/12165060
> 
> Finn and Rae's scene from My Mad Fat Diary is linked here:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNM6kiL5Fbs


End file.
